1972 Map of Copan

About this map

Little Caney River winds through the northern Oklahoma borderlands on the eve of significant hydrological change. This 1970s survey captures the landscape as workers began the Proposed Location Dam Under Constr, a massive engineering project destined to create Copan Lake. While the town of Copan remains firmly established along the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe line, the blue-hatched shading over portions of the river valley indicates areas soon to be submerged. To the north, the small settlement of Owen sits just south of the Kansas Oklahoma state line. Rural life is evidenced by the Pleasant Grove Ch and various family-named waterways like Cotton Creek and Pooler Creek, though the presence of an Old Railroad Grade and numerous oil wells suggests a landscape already transitioning from its earlier transport and extractive roots.